


With The Greatest Of Ease

by Poemsingreenink



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, circus AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16332911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poemsingreenink/pseuds/Poemsingreenink
Summary: Emma Cullen owns and operates RC Circus, a tiny punk rock circus show that offers death defying stunts and only charges $25 a ticket. Billy Rocks is unfortunately in charge tonight.





	With The Greatest Of Ease

“Pick a card! Any card!”

 

Billy let his legs dangle off the catwalk, and watched Faraday with a critical eye. He had a good view of the back of the other man’s neck, and could see the beads of sweat that were dampening his collar. He felt a twinge of pity for him. It was hot under that spotlight.

 

The rather grizzled looking audience participant made his selection from the fan of cards in Faraday’s hand. He studied it, and waited for Faraday to turn away before slipping it back into the fold.

 

Billy felt a vibration against his ribs, and pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket.

 

_Goody: How's it going?_

 

“Now friend!” Faraday said, as he shuffled the deck through his hands. “I need you to answer one very simple question.”

 

Billy began tapping out his reply.

 

_Billy: Pretty go-_

Faraday unleashed a spray of cards, rapid as the bullets from a Gatling gun, into the participant’s face.

 

“Is this your card!!?”

 

Billy deleted his message.

 

The participant, a man who looked old enough to have been Billy’s father, frantically swatted the cards away. The audience reaction was a choppy wave of uneasy laughter, and Billy rubbed a hand over his forehead.

 

Faraday was howling. He took a few uneasy steps, and wobbled dangerously. Billy slid the phone back into his pocket with Goody’s message unanswered, and got to his feet.

 

He nearly ran into Red who was further down the catwalk, and leaning over the railing.

 

“Is he drunk?” Red asked.

 

Below them Faraday was taking bows to a weak smattering of applause.

 

“I mean, drunker than usual?”

 

Billy had a vague memory of Faraday downing a shot before the show, but it was his first time acting as the show's MC. Needing a little bit of liquid courage hadn’t set any alarm bells off, but now Billy wondered if he should have counted how many empty glasses littered the bar top.

 

An angry shout filled the air, and both Red and Billy turned to see the audience participant punch Faraday square in the nose. The rest of the audience was quickly leaping to their feet to either assist or take a Snapchat video.

 

“At least this happened after my act,” Red said. "They're going to knock my tightrope over."

 

Faraday got to his feet, moved to rush his opponent, and was clotheslined by the low tightrope wire.

 

“See,” Red said.  

 

Billy pulled his phone out of his pocket, and then took a quick few second video as Faraday lay star-fished across the floor wheezing. The audience member froze looking unsure which was good. Billy sent the video to Goody along with a brief message ( _It’s going),_ and then hustled down the stairs. Someone needed to get there before the audience member gained some confidence, and realized they were in the perfect position for hand stomping.

 

He needn’t have rushed. Horne was lumbering out to the middle of the floor, illuminated by a second spotlight that Billy had no doubt Teddy was responsible for, and laid one giant hand on the upset audience member’s shoulder.

 

Sam, unruffled and amused from his place among the band, picked up his guitar and began to supply jaunty theme music to the unfolding events. Sam was smart that way.

 

Billy paused, not wanting to add more drama by rushing between the maze of tables and chairs to solve a problem that might not require his help. Especially since he could see Vasquez hovering by the door with his juggling pins, practically vibrating with the desire to use one of them like a baseball bat.   

 

Horne grabbed the audience member by the hand, and then the two of them bowed dramatically. Faraday was sitting up, and when Horne turned in his direction he delicately put one foot atop his chest to keep him in place. The audience loved it. Laughter and applause rippled through the air.

 

Faraday, smarter than he tended to let on, and never one to turn away from a crowd began to milk his situation. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, and fluttered his eyelashes prettily all while flailing energetically under Horne’s boot.

 

“We do know how to roll with the punches don’t we?”

 

Emma had appeared at Billy’s elbow, rolling her huge German wheel alongside her. 

 

“That’s what makes us a punk rock circus,” Billy said, flatly. “We let you see how badly we’re fraying at the edges.”

 

Her laugher was soft, but genuine. RC Circus was Emma’s baby. After her husband's death, she’d been the one to decide working for Cirque du Soleil or a company that might actually pay her on time was a life she didn’t want, and she’d been the one to hunt down the lot of them. One by one, by hook or by crook, they’d followed her and the chance to perform crazy stunts in a tiny warehouse spaces for $25 a ticket. 

 

“Don’t suppose I’ll be getting announced?” She asked with a tilt of her head.

 

She’d painted her lips bright red, and then dusted over them with silver body glitter. It matched the rest of her costume, a black glittering leotard and silver bike shorts.

 

Billy chewed his bottom lip in thought. “Sam might say something, but I wouldn’t count on it.” 

 

Quick as a fox escaping a trap, Faraday rolled out from  under Horne's boot, and bounded to his feet. He immediately grabbed the formally irate paying customer's free hand spun him, dipped him and gave him a big wet kiss on the cheek. The applause from the small crowd grew to a roar.

 

“Goody will be back for the next show,” Billy promised. “He would have done this one if I hadn’t threatened to quit if he tried.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes. “He can’t possibly think I wanted him performing with the flu. Puking into a bucket isn’t something any audience wants to see. Not even ours.”

 

There was a mess of wires just above Emma’s head that Billy mentally noted to inspect. It wasn’t that the warehouse was a fire hazard. They’d filled everything out to code and been inspected in the beginning of the year, but it never hurt to triple check things.

 

The small trio exited with one final bow, and Emma gently touched Billy's shoulder.

 

“Back into the fray,” she whispered, and walked gracefully to the middle of the dark floor with her German Wheel.

 

Billy leaned against the wall, and got his phone ready. A video of Emma’s act would make Goody feel better. He’d let Horne deal with Faraday.

**Author's Note:**

> I was looking for something to post for WIP Wednesdays and realized that this was a one shot, and definitely finished.


End file.
